Ranchi, June 15 (IANS) Former Jharkhand chief minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief Shibu Soren was Tuesday acquitted in a 1974 double murder case.

Soren was accused of inciting a mob to kill Chundi Singh and Khirodhar Singh, who allegedly stole two goats and killed them in Kodko village of Giridih district in April 1974.

Ten people were accused in the case and a chargesheet was filed against them in 1978. Eight accused were acquitted in 1986 and one died during the trial.

A fast track court of Mohammad Qasim pronounced the judgment, which was reserved June 3. The court had reserved its orders after hearing the arguments of Soren's lawyer.

The case was transferred to the fast track court after the verdict, scheduled to be delivered April 17, was deferred when Additional District Judge N.N. Singh dissociated himself from the case.

The case against Soren was pending as he failed to appear in the court earlier. A warrant pending against him surfaced in 2004 and he then surrendered. He was later released on bail.